KUALA LUMPUR – Highways in the Klang Valley, under the purview of Amanat Lebuhraya Rakyat Berhad (ALR), recorded a minimal number of accidents in the period from January 1, 2022, to March 31, 2023 (FY2023).
These highways include the Shah Alam Expressway (Kesas), the Damansara-Puchong Highway (LDP), the Kuala Lumpur Traffic Dispersal Scheme Expressway (Sprint), and the Smart Tunnel.
According to ALR’s sustainability report released recently, the Kesas Highway witnessed 324 accidents, while the Sprint Highway reported 478 accidents.
The highest number of accidents occurred on the LDP with 814 cases. In contrast, the Smart Tunnel recorded the lowest, with a mere 18 accidents throughout the entire period.
These statistics highlight that the average daily accident rate per highway ranged between zero and 1.8, considering a traffic volume of 190.7 million (LDP), 139.8 million (Kesas), 79.4 million (Sprint), and 7.7 million (Smart).
Additionally, the report reveals that breakdowns were more frequent on these highways, with 8,853 reported on Kesas, 3,943 on LDP, 2,088 on Sprint, and 236 on Smart.
The report emphasises that these figures serve as indicators that will help ALR reduce the likelihood of preventable accidents and vehicle breakdowns.
Furthermore, ALR consistently collaborates with various agencies, including the Royal Malaysian Police, the Road Transport Department, the National Anti-Drugs Agency, the Environmental Department, and Puspakom, for traffic enforcement operations, such as speeding, motorcycle encroachments, and vehicle inspections.
The infrequent accidents and breakdowns could also be attributed to ALR’s substantial expenditure of RM56.2 million on road maintenance during FY2023.
The responsibilities of prevention and detection are overseen by ALR’s Engineering, Highway Maintenance, and Traffic Safety team, which monitor and maintain the highways through daily CCTV inspections, on-site surveillance, and the installation of video surveillance on patrolling vehicles.
The report also highlights ALR’s ‘proactive’ approach to road monitoring and maintenance, complemented by regular cleaning and sweeping activities.
Additionally, the company conducts routine inspections of pavements and structures, along with periodic repair work and road safety audits done by external consultants every three years, the report noted.
ALR is a private, not-for-profit entity established in 2021 with the specific purpose of expediting the shortening of toll concessions and returning four highways – LDP, Kesas, Sprint, and Smart – to the Malaysian government.
On October 13 of last year, ALR issued RM5.5 billion in nominal value AAA-rated Senior Sustainable and Responsible Investment Sukuk Murabahah and subsequently acquired four concessionaires that previously owned the aforementioned tolled highways. – September 28, 2023